Canadian Black Metal band Wormwitch just released their 3rd full length album, Wolf Hex, and its pretty damn good. So good in fact that the band decided to risk life and limb making the music video for their track The Wolves of Ossory. Steve from Aussie Death Thrash band Aeons Abyss, sent a few questions their way and Colby Hink, the guitarist, was kind enough to respond … and here’s what he had to say.
Introduce yourself, who is in your band, and when did you first start?
My name is Colby, I play guitar. Robin plays bass and vocals, Kyle plays guitar and Izzy drums. We started in 2015 after Robin and my old hardcore band fell apart and we decided we wanted to retain what we’d … (lost transcript)
Wormwitch is a very cool name for a metal band. How did you come up with the name and does it have any specific meaning?
We just thought it sounded cool when the time came to start the band. We were literally sitting in a Tim Hortons talking about music and we remarked about how we tend to like bands that have “Worm” or “Witch” in the name. The band was originally just a fun project with no aspirations other than to make some crazy music and play some local shows, but as things progressed and we began to take bigger steps, the name stuck. We’ve learned to love it.
Your 3rd full length album Wolf Hex releases August 27 this year. What are 3 things we need to know about this release?
It’s our first album with Kyle Tavares in the band. It’s more black metal than ever but also more rock and roll. And it has a looser, more natural and live sound than anything we’ve done in the past.
The singles you have released so for Wolf Hex indicate a shift in sonic style for the band. Please elaborate on how the band has evolved it’s sound from your debut Strike Mortal Soil (2017), to Wolf Hex
The bands that we look to for influence has remained more or less the same over the years, but with every album we’ve seemed to take a different approach to songwriting. On Strike Mortal Soil, we were a band without an identity. We didn’t know what we truly wanted Wormwitch to sound like so we threw a lot at the wall and saw what stuck. Heaven That Dwells Within was more refined, but almost too refined. We hyper-focused on executing our vision of a particular kind of record and although we were successful, we felt like a little bit of the fire was missing. On Wolf Hex, I feel like we struck a balance. We’ve grown as songwriters and musicians but we’ve also learned to take a step back and allow the music to flow from the heart.
What is your favourite track from the new release and why?
These days I’ve really been digging Leering Crystal Effigies. It’s got a lot of energy and has always been one of my favourites throughout the writing and recording process.
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Your album artwork is a very cool medieval styled wolf with a serpent’s tongue, and has a bit of a European horror vibe to it. Who did the artwork and is there a story behind the image?
Our vocalist/bassist Robin Harris handled the artwork and layout for the album. The cover design went through several iterations before we landed on the final wolf, but it was a design that Robin had been sitting on and improving over the time we were writing, and it just seemed to fit. We tend to come up with album cover ideas during the process of writing the songs, and each influence the other.
I really like your retro styled music video for the single, The Wolves of Ossory, with you lot running around a snow covered forest wearing all manner of scary masks and wielding swords. How’d you come up with the concept for this one and what was the funniest thing that happened when you were doing the shoot?
There was a LOT of falling. Sprinting through the woods while wearing goat masks with tiny pinholes for eyes is dangerous and not advisable. Izzy busted his ankle and I had several bruises and wounds the following week.
What is it like being a Metal band in Canada? How influential is BangerTV in terms of the local scene?
Being a metal band in Canada comes with challenges but benefits as well. Canada has a relatively low population for the size of the country, so cross-Canada tours are often difficult to pull off. In addition to that, touring in other countries always requires VISAs, which is a complicated and expensive process. On the other hand though, there’s a certain peace in making music up in the quiet North. The natural environment here is beautiful and infinitely inspiring. I can’t speak much to the influence of BangerTV, but everyone loves Sam Dunn’s documentaries.
What other bands would potential listeners of your music enjoy?
Darkthrone. Black Sabbath. Immortal. Thin Lizzy.
What have you got coming up in the next 6 -12 months?
We’re slowly putting the pieces together to get back on the road and on the stage. Nothing is certain with travel restrictions in Canada so we’re treading lightly and trying not to make any promises we won’t be able to keep. Other than that we’re mostly promoting the new album and working on some new stuff!
Last question – Is it better to swear in French, or in English?
French has a better mouthfeel.
Band website and social links here: https://www.wormwitch.ca/
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